Vacuum printing apparatus



March 16, 1954 DAVIDSON VACUUM PRINTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1950 INVENTOI? J.DA V/DSO/V By lneP Mix A TTORNEV March 16, 1954 J. DAVlDSON VACUUM PRINTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1950 N. R0 n w N mm M w .w mm .4 v. e m hm \R.

March 16, 1954 J DAVlDSON VACUUM PRINTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 1, 1950 //v VENTOR J. DA V/DSON A 7' TORNEV March 16, 1954 J- DAVIDSON 2,672,080

VACUUM PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //vv/v TOR J. DA V/DSON 14 TORNEV Patented Mar. 16, 1954 REINTINQ A PAnATus John:.Davids.on,;Upp er Mon clan'JN t nmnany, a t. .o

ndt tio ezo i fwk c rrelated,

ilipnljcatiqn December 1, 1950}Serial No: 198,645

1.3 a um .7 ;isfrequentlyunecessary to. make; changes line the layouts or locations of rmachines rdesks or.other equipment. In manufacturing "concerns .it has .7 been the pract c riot anjeng er i layin .out

fe jet liii a fiaq i lahb -that i a na p ze o le lt of thet iem at r r en T th ;f n mn tq mamne r u r t b placed 'in the area, the engineer would either mak drawin s Q th lay u 9 ta P r t ereib "ln'ma sifle awine bf th ra nt "th tim .rs i i dead lcjons e a a d expense were disturbing-factors. lfhotographingualso involved 'delays and could -beused only -for .the smaller layouts, the larger or -comple te layouts beingntoollarge to bephot'og raphed. Furthermore, if there should-be the-slightest change in the layout, including zthezxremovalz or- -move- ;mentof.tany one of the templates orithe addition v ofone or more temp1ates, the entireuwork had to be duplicated or the idrawingzmodifiedpmequiring additional eprints. andlor. photographs.

obj ectof the inventionlis itoapro vide a printing {apparatus which is simple v .in-.structure -yet ,eflicient in rapidly reproducing prints of draw- ,ings orth nlike.

With this and OthBIitObjEGtS ,in view the in- .-.yention comprises a iprintingaapparatus for '-re-- producing printsaordrawings or the likewherein a table, tOgSUPDOIt a drawingrand a-sheet-of sen- .tsitized paper superimposed. on' the drawing, has

v"an outlet leading; ,to van exhaust 4 machine, and grooves, extending from the outlet in difierent -,direc.tions beyond ttheladrawing so. that a transparent blanket mounted. for movement relative to the table may. be drawn .:by vacuum into the grooves surrounding the drawing to: pull the blanket into intimate engagement "with the paper tandforceit into close ngagement withthe' drawing 50 that a source ofl'ight may bedirected -through the blanket and the contact paper to "reflect from the'drawingcausingreproduction of the drawing on'the contact paper.

t P n embpd men ie t e nventie t si awin ii i r lllde a fl r P a upo h c n mer u tem la es r res a n abie t b tweed a s le ted P95321935 in he l i li is pr room represented by the' floor plan are positioned aloosely onsthe. drawing. .:Furthermore -thelhlanaket iistdrawn .-beneath the .zbottonrof ..;a rectanxlgular 1 frame :having. a foam rubber cushionaor c-gasketzto be compressedibyclampslacting. onfi'the frame .zto press the blanket into-intimate zengagement with :the. periphery .of -.the :table murrounding the drawing; the templates; the.=contact paper and all ofthe grooves in thetablensoxthat tthewacuum may; drawithe blanket into. close en- 10.

gagement: with the paper and causeiaitltox conform to thetemplatesandldrawing.

Other objectsand advantages willzbe apparent 7 from the :following detailed description when considered in conjunction with vthe accompanywingndrawings wherein:

.-Fig. lis an end elevationahview of thetappa- :ratus;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of thegapparatus c Fig.- 3.-is a horizontal sectional =view tal-zen along theoline 4410f Fig. 2; and

'Fig. .4 I; is :a fragmentary isometric view cfsthe =5lblanketlsupportinglunit.

Referring now to thezdlawingsg the apparatus includes .a table :I 0 which :is? formedmbsuitable mmaterial, preferably metal, -rectangu1ar--in-genmeraloontour and of --suffi-cient size :to receive the z largestarticle orzdrawingtobe reproduced. Q'I-V'he table has an outlet l at its =center-with grooues I 2 extending diagonally through the top surface of the table and connected at their outer ends -by arectangular arrangement oflconnecte'd grooves 14, -terrninatingshort of the outer edges of the -table and forming a complete circuit, joining the grooves l2 with the outlet H. The tablet-Dis su po ted 91 a be c -lik s uc ure I5 whichiha a shelf 16 upon which a vacuum Heating unit ;'I|

' is mounted. The unit .l| inc1udes a motor L8 ,to rdrive "a speed reducing unit ,19 winch inturn driyesthe vacuumpumpli) -connected toithe outv let 1 -l '.of the table through a line 2 I.

Airt me-st tu 2 ha a i zon alpcttio az sunport na a se ies of ead i hts?! rr ich may be included intone or 1morelcircuits tome .closed so as to illuminate. the floodlights. for a algiven length toffltime during printing. of. a*..dnawing or other-articles as hereinafter described.

A blanket unit 30 ismovable within the frame- --work 25 from the position 'shownin Fig. 1- above the table to the printing" position shown in'Fig.

. Th lmit 0 i sup o te .by chains or cables 3. ex end ng t am a count lanci weigh El -91 .5% l n ular m m er .33. 9-. er pu1.1.e ys .'3

to their respective corners of the unit' 30 where I for a given length of time.

they are connected to outwardly extending flanges 36.

The unit 30 is composed of a rectangular frame 38, similar in size and contour to the table It and having a cushion-like gasket 39 secured to its lower surface and formed of a suitable material such as foam rubber. A blanket 40, formed of a transparent flexible material, has its edges, along the four sides of the frame 38, connected to sets of interlocking strips 41 and 42, provided with longitudinal tongues and grooves to assure positive connection with the blanket. A-

to cause reflex printing of the drawing and templates on the underside or emulsion surface of the paper. When the printing has been completed, the circuit to the lamps may be opened after which the unit 30 may be raised, at which time the exposed paper 65 may be removed and the necessary steps applied for its development and the making of prints therefrom which are not included in this apparatus.

While the drawing with the original arrangement of templates remains on the table, subserectangular flange 43, angular in'cross section,

is secured to the upper portion of the frame 38 and has spaced apertures 44 to receive the upper ends of springs 45, the lower ends of the springs being connected at 46 to the sets of strips 4| and 42.

A sheet of transparent colored filtering material 48 extends across the top of the frame 38. At selected spaced positions, over the top of the frame 38, fine music wires 49 are strung longitudinally and laterally with respect to the frame,

having their ends extending through apertures 50 in the angular flange 43 and secured by the aid of screws to support the filter 48 against sagging. The edges of the filter 48 are firmly secured to the frame 38 by strips 53.

Parallel guide rods 56, disposed at opposite ends of the bench I5 and frame and secured thereto, serve to guide the unit in its movement toward or away from the table It. The unit ,30 carries brackets 51 to slide on the guide rods 56 and be engaged by their hold down clamps 59 mounted on the bench at the ends thereof and 'actuable into engagement with the brackets 5? when the unit 30 is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus, the description of the apparatus has not included a layout board 60 which may be employed as a direct support for the drawing 6! and the templates 62. Normally, the unit 30 is in its upper position shown in Fig. 2. The article to be printed may be placed on the layout board 60 and held in place by suitable means, such as Scotch tape 63, supporting the templates 62 loosely on the drawing at their predetermined positions. A sheet 65 of sensitized paper is placed over the drawing after which the unit 30 is lowered to a position in engagement with the table. The clamps 59, when moved into engagement with the brackets 51, compress the cushionlike gasket 39 to force the blanket 4i] into intimate engagement with that portion of the table which surrounds the grooves l2 and i4. Apertures 68, disposed at spaced positions about the frame 38, assure maintenance of air within the unit 30 at atmospheric pressure.

The operator may then energize the motor l8 to create a vacuum in the numerous grooves l2 and 14 connected to the outlet ll whereby the blanket will be drawn throughout this area into close engagement with the sensitized paper 65, forcing it into close engagement with the tem-. plates and drawing, holding the templates against displacement and assuring their proper positions while the reproduction of the templates and drawing is being made. The operator then causes the illumination of the fioodlights 21 The rays of light from the lamps 27 will be filtered by the element 48 and directed through the blanket 40 and the sensitized paper 65, where the rays will be reflected by the drawing BI and the templates 62 lamps for a given length of time.

quent arrangements of the same templates or with additional may be made, and additional prints taken thereof before removing the drawing from the apparatus. All that is necessary is the provision of new sheets of sensitized paper 65 for each print, the placing of the paper over the drawing and templates, and carrying out of the printing operation by closing the unit 30, sealing it about the drawing and illuminating the Through this arrangement, recordings or prints may be made or each preliminary plan as well as the final plan for layout regardless of the size. Furthermore, the apparatus iacilitates the making of changes as new objectives or ideas are considered, eliminating the necessity of making duplicate sets of templates to illustrate previous layouts, various proposed layouts and final layouts.

Whether the apparatus reproduces positive or negative prints depends mainly upon the type of sensitized paper employed. In either instance the light rays must pass through the sensitized paper and be reflected by the white areas of the drawing and templates back to the emulsion surbody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is: i

l. A printing apparatus for reproducing prints of drawings or the like, the apparatus comprising a supporting frame-work composed of a plurality of vertically extending members secured together at the upper extremities thereof, a table secured within said frame-work to support a drawing and a sheet of sensitized paper with its emulsion surface on the drawing, said table having an outlet and grooves extending from the outlet in different directions beyond the drawing and paper, a transparent blanket, an open frame similar in size and contour to the periphery of said table, means including guide rods attached vertically to said frame-work and means on said frame slideably connected to said guide rods to secure said frame within said frame-work above said table for movement relative to said table, a resilient gasket fastened-to the lower extremity of said frame, means for securing said blanket to the outside of said frame with said blanket passing under and in taut engagement with said resilient gasket, whereby when said frame is moved into engagement with'said table said blanket will be drawn more taut and a pneumatic seal will be created between said blanket, and said table, a vacuum pump connected to said outletand grooves to draw said blankettoward said table to cause it to hold the sensitized paper in close engagement with the drawing, and a lamp secured within said frame-work and above said 6 frame to direct rays of light through said blanket 3. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 in and the sensitized paper to the drawing where which the means for securing said blanket to the they will reflect from the drawing onto the outside of said frame includes resilient fastenings.

emulsion surface of the paper to create a repro- JOHN DAVIDSON, duction of the drawing on the paper. 5

A printing pp u according o Claim 1 References Cited in the file of this patent further including pulleys connected to said frame-work and ropes passing over said pulleys UNITED STATES PATENTS and each connected to said frame at one extrem- Number Name Date ity and to a counterbalancing weight at the other 10 2,317,343 Wekeman A 7, 1 4 extremity thereof. 2,445,566 e Lano July 20, 1948 

